


Quick Fix

by Iron_Angel



Series: Beer and Benefits [2]
Category: Fallout 4
Genre: Comfort, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Friends With Benefits, Ghoul Sex, Post-Canon, welcome to rare pair hell
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-31
Updated: 2017-07-31
Packaged: 2018-12-09 06:45:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,703
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11663769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Iron_Angel/pseuds/Iron_Angel
Summary: While Hancock leaves to -ahem- take care of business, Nora decides to visit Cabot House to help out her former-employer-turned-friend with a repair job.





	Quick Fix

**Author's Note:**

> [insert disclaimer here]
> 
> Unbeta'd. I'll correct mistakes and typos as I find them.
> 
> A sequel to "Have A Drink On Me," set between chapters 9 and 10 of "Be Near Me". Only very minor references. Can be read alone. Even encouraged.

Hancock sighed happily as the gate of Goodneighbor closed behind them. "Home sweet home. I enjoy the break, but it's always nice to come back, you know?"

Nora hmm'd as she looked around. Home sweet home, huh? Must be nice to have someplace to go back to. She frowned slightly, thinking about what home used to be two hundred years ago in Sanctuary Hills. Nothing like Goodneighbor at all. Hell, Goodneighbor itself was nothing like Scollay Square used to be, she thought, eyes falling on the sign for Kill or Be Killed.

That reminded her. She shifted her pack around and began rummaging through it, trying to find the laser musket piece she scavenged. "I wonder how many caps KL-E-0 would give me for this refracting crystal..." she wondered aloud.

"I guess I should make an appearance at the mayor's office," Hancock said casually. "You gonna be okay by yourself for awhile?"

She looked up at him. He looked on edge. Must be really hard up to get back to Fahrenheit. All his philandering, and he still wanted his woman. She didn't know how the redhead put up with it, but it was none of Nora's business how their relationship worked. She should just be glad it did. Even if it made her a little jealous.

Stop thinking about it, Nora. Jealousy never looks good on a lady.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," she said, forcing her voice to stay neutral. She turned her attention back to sorting through her pack to give her something else to look at besides him.

"You sure?"

Goddammit, stop rubbing it in and just go already!

"I can tag along if--"

She waved him off, walking past him towards the gun shop so that he couldn't see the hurt she could feel starting to bleed through. "No, you go do what you've got to do. I'll find something to keep myself busy," she swallowed hard, "so, you know, take your time." Please don't let her voice crack. "No rush."

"All right."

She watched as he headed for the door of the state house, feeling her heart sink into her stomach as it closed behind him. "See you around," she sighed. But she knew she probably wouldn't see him again for a couple of days at least.

The laser component turned out to be a windfall profit; they weren't made like that anymore and in higher demand than she could've known. Flush with caps from the sale of it and the wonderglue and flip lighters she'd been collecting for Daisy (wait, what happened to that unused one?), she decided to treat herself to the king-sized bed Hancock had forgotten he'd promised. Maybe a hot bath as well.

Entering the Rexford's lobby, she was greeted as always by Drinking Buddy. "Greetings... Buddy. Would you like a cold... one... or did you want to hear a... joke?"

"Rufus still hasn't changed your subroutines, I see," she said, fondly patting the robot on the hull.

Wait, Rufus! Deegan had been saying something earlier that neither Daisy's Discounts nor Deb at Bunker Hill had the gears in stock that he needed to repair one of the Cabot House's generators. She wondered if he knew that the Rexford's handyman also sold scrap on the side. Which lead to her wondering if Deegan had ever even been to the Rexford outside of their night together a few months ago.

That train of thought left the station and was not coming back now.

Turning to the modified protectron, she said, "Yeah, Buddy, give me all the beer you've got."

"Not going to save any of that for me?"

She looked up from loading the frosted bottles into her pack and smiled as the elderly handyman approached. "Hey, Rufus. Sorry, my friend, not tonight. However, if you set me up with the parts I'm looking for, I'll pitch in a few extra caps to buy you a bottle of something stronger."

He beamed. "Well, by all means, let's see what I've got in stock!"

~

"Stay off the grass."

Nora eyed the sentry bot warily. There was no grass around Cabot House anymore, and she was always afraid that just stepping on a random dried leaf would set the killer robot off. It stayed at it's usual post, though. Perhaps it recognized her now as a non-threat? Still, she kept her eye on it as she reached out and pressed the intercom button.

"Pardon the inconvenience, but we are not accepting visitors at this time," a voice that sounded like a Mr. Handy replied through the speaker. Come to think of it, where was the Mr. Handy that usually patrolled the lane?

"Please tell Mr. Deegan that Nora is here to see him," she said politely.

"One moment." There was a minute-long pause, then the door opened and the robotic servant performed it's version of a bow. "Please do come in. Sir will see you now." Closing the door behind her, it held out it's pincer arm. "Sir is currently working in the basement. May I take your things, ma'am?"

She waved it off with a thank you, heading towards where she thought she remembered the basement being. Wait, no, that was the kitchen. That's cold storage (she stopped to put the beer into the refrigerator). That _was_ Deegan's bedroom, but now it was just full of boxes. Where the hell--

"Looking for me?"

She at least managed not to squeak as she turned sharply to face him, almost slamming into the ghoul's broad chest, he was so close. He grabbed her by the upper arms to keep her from stumbling backwards.

"Edward! Yes, I was. Thought I would take you up on your offer to visit." She smiled up at him, lifting her considerably lighter pack now. "Brought beer and those gears you were looking for."

He slid his hands from her arms up to cup her face between them. "I won't turn down either of those, but I hope you didn't go to any trouble getting the parts."

His hands felt so nice. She let out a pleased hum, pressing into his touch. "I'm half tempted not to tell you where I got them just so I can have an excuse to show up more often."

He chuckled and slowly pulled his hands back, seemingly reluctant to let her go. She inwardly lamented the loss. "Door's always open for you, sweetheart. You don't have to bribe your way in."

She shook her head. "Oh, don't tempt me. The only house in... anywhere... that still has showers with working hot water, you're lucky I don't try to move in."

He shrugged, but she could see something in his eyes change. "I've got the space, but sadly not the hot water at the moment." He reached down and took her pack from her hand. "Should have it fixed soon, though, thanks to you."

She followed as he turned and headed for a trapdoor she had previously overlooked. Crouching down to peer inside, she almost laughed at how comical he looked trying to maneuver his bulk in the relatively small space between two fusion generators dominating the underground room.

"That's a lot of power for just one house, even one as big as this," she commented.

Deegan nodded as he bent to open a panel. "Jack's laboratory required a lot of power to operate. Figures that it's his dedicated generator that would be the better maintained one. Pretty much useless now that he's gone. Powers the lights, at least."

"Couldn't you just rewire the house to that one?"

"Would if I knew how. I'd still want to get this one up and running again as a backup, anyway."

She followed the path of the cables with her eyes, thinking hard for a moment. She was pretty sure she could fix the problem. Standing up, she quickly shed her armor down to her vault suit to lessen her own bulk, then lowered herself through the trapdoor as well.

"I've had to build and maintain several generators for my settlements and the Castle. If you want, I can do it for you."

He stood upright, and she felt a rush of warmth across her skin as his eyes quickly flicked down her body then back up to meet hers. "I'm beginning to wonder why I ever agreed to let Jack dismiss you," he said, stepping back as far as he could to make space for her to pass.

She froze.

No.

No, that wasn't going to work. As much as she wanted to be close to him and feel his body against hers, that was too tight a space. No no no...

He stared at her, his brow ridge lifting in concern. "Nora?"

Underground! What was she even thinking?!

She'd been too focused on wanting to help like always. Always the mission. Like with the Railroad HQ and crawling through the sewers to sabotage the Institute. She hadn't been thinking about the small spaces, the earth surrounding her on all sides.

It hurt to breathe. No, she couldn't breathe!

Hands were on her waist and she was being lifted up.

Fingers stroking through her hair.

A gentle weight against her chest.

A rough yet soothing voice buzzing in her ears.

She blinked and realized she was staring up at a high wooden ceiling. Somehow, Deegan managed to get her out of the cellar, laying her back on the basement floor. She turned her head to see him propped on his side next to her, still stroking her hair.

"You okay, sweetheart?" he asked softly. "Do you need anything?"

She closed her eyes and swallowed hard, shaking her head. "I think I'm okay." She sighed roughly. "Dammit, I'm tired of this happening to me. I used to not be like this." He still hadn't stopped caressing her hair; she wondered if all ghouls had an obsession with it because so many didn't have any of their own anymore. If there was a silver lining to her irrational panic attacks, this would be it, she thought. But there was a job waiting to be done. "I would love to let you keep doing this, but it's not getting your generator fixed," she said, sitting up.

"Least of my worries right now."

That brought a smile back to her face. If he wasn't careful, she was going to fall in love with him at this rate. Instead of saying as much, she bent down and pecked him on the lips. "Really, I'm okay now," she assured him.

His hand was in her hair again and, with a low growl, he pulled her back down into a deeper kiss. Whatever unspoken barrier against intimate touch that had stood between them earlier crumbled into proverbial dust as his free arm wrapped around her waist, dragging her astride him as he laid flat on his back. Delicious heat began to pool at the base of her spine as she shifted, feeling his arousal beginning to harden against her lower belly.

He pulled back, letting her catch her breath as he kissed and nibbled along her jaw to her ear. "I've been wanting to do this since I saw you again at Bunker Hill," he confessed against her skin. "I wanted to take you back with me right then and there."

She probably would have let him, too, had he asked. Let Hancock find his own way home and save her the awkwardness of watching him trying and failing to contain his impatience to get back to his main squeeze.

No, enough thinking about him. _That_ wasn't going to happen. But Deegan, he was right here, right now, and he wanted her. It felt nice to honestly be wanted.

She sat back on her knees, looking down at him with heavy-lidded eyes as she reached for the suit's zipper tab at her throat and began to slowly pull it down.

The Mr. Handy suddenly hovered into the room, causing her to jump. "Sir, has the power been restored so that I may start preparing dinner?"

The speed at which Deegan went from lust-drunk to annoyed was incredible as he tilted his head back to glare up the stairs at the robot. "No, Sebastian, it has not," he bit out. "Go away."

"As you wish, sir. However once it has been restored, shall I prepare a place setting for the lady as well?"

She huffed a quiet chuckle. "I swear all Mr. Handys are programmed with a cockblocking subroutine," she whispered low enough for only Deegan to hear.

He jerked his head back down to look at her with wide eyes before letting out a bark of laughter. "That sounds like the voice of experience." She nodded. He turned his attention back to the top of the stairs. "Yes, Sebastian, the lady will be dining with me this evening."

"Very good, sir," and it hovered away.

Too late, though. The moment was broken. Disappointed, but also feeling hopeful, she grinned down at Deegan. "A hot meal _and_ a hot shower? I've won the lottery."

He smiled, resting his hands on her hips for a minute longer before shifting her off of him. "Guess I should get back to work on those repairs, then."

She got to her feet, then reached down to help him to his. "I can still help you," she offered. Opening his mouth to protest, she shook her head. "Let me go down first and don't crowd me, and I'll be fine, I promise. I can do it if I take the time to mentally prepare for it, all right?"

He looked skeptical, but nodded.

With a reassuring pat to his chest, she moved back to the trapdoor and climbed down. This works better, she thought as she slipped easily through the gap between the generators. Focus on the work. Do the job. Cables, couplers, bolts. Pip-Boy light on for a few minutes while she disconnected and reconnected. Focus. Work.

And done.

She shot Deegan a self-satisfied smirk as the sound of machinery hummed to life somewhere on the floor above them.

"You're officially back on the payroll," he said with an answering smile. He closed the exterior panel, having finished his half of the job as well.

She reached up to wipe the sweat from her forehead and realized, belatedly, that her hands were covered in machine dust. She probably just left a huge black smudge on her face. Yes, she did, if his eyes traveling upward was anything to go by. "First dibs on the bathroom and we'll call it square," she grimaced.

"Deal."

Collecting her pack and climbing out of the cellar behind him, she looked around and realized something was missing. "Wait... Where's my armor?"

Deegan scanned around a moment, then sighed and rolled his eyes. "That would be Sebastian's doing. Don't worry. You'll get it back soon enough. Probably cleaned and polished to a mirror shine despite being leather, but you will get it back."

"I can't find a happy medium with Codsworth either, and he's attained full cognitive independence."

"I think I would have to shoot Sebastian if he ever got that far."

A handful of flights of stairs later, he led her up to a set of doors on the third floor. "It, uh, seemed pointless to stay in the basement when the rooms up here were no longer in use," he explained as he opened the door to the master bedroom. It was clean, but very spartan. Indentations in the carpet showed where several pieces of furniture had once sat and recently been moved out, leaving just a desk, a dresser, and queen bed.

Off to the right, a huge white tiled en-suite practically gleamed, it was so clean. Moving to the door, she felt ridiculous that the sight almost moved her to tears. How much had the wasteland changed her that this looked like heaven?

"Might take a minute for the water to heat up."

She looked over her shoulder to find him bracing with both hands above her head against the door frame, staring down at her. "I think it'll be worth the wait," she said softly, already reaching for her suit's zipper.

He focused on her hand for a moment, then pushed off the frame and stepped back. "I'll, uh, see if I can find an extra towel... and something for you to wear." He headed for the bedroom door. "I don't know if Emogene left anything, but I'm sure Jack had something that'll fit."

Watching him go, Nora shook her head at herself; sometimes she forgot he was old world just like she was. She smiled and turned, busying herself with starting the water before stripping down.

It took almost five minutes before the water was warm enough to stand under, but she'd been right that it was worth it as she stepped into the gym-style shower and the blessed heat poured over her body, almost instantly washing away the aches and pains she'd grown so used to. She didn't even bother stifling the moan that escaped as she drug her fingers along her scalp, the water trickling through the furrows they left behind. It felt so good, she almost forgot all about scrubbing herself clean.

There wasn't any shampoo--

Which made sense, since Deegan didn't have any hair. Nora, stop laughing, she silently admonished herself.

\--so she worked up as much of a lather as possible with the bar of soap. It wasn't ideal, but she was _not_ going to complain at all. Moving on to her body, however, she was left with another obstacle: no extra washcloth. Hands would have to do. Pausing to re-soap them a couple of times, she rubbed the dirt away, and it felt like washing her very soul clean. Damn, that felt sooo _good_.

"You're making me feel a little jealous there, sweetheart," Deegan chuckled.

She brushed the water out of her eyes to see him leaning a hip against the sink, arms crossed over his now bare chest. "So join me," she smirked, crooking a finger at him.

It was very flattering at how quickly he kicked off his boots and shucked his jeans to obey. Even moreso the way he looked down at her as he crowded her against the wall to fit under the shower's spray. It seemed cleaning was the furthest thing from his mind, though. Cupping her face between his hands, he bent to kiss her, slow and deep, almost lazily taking his time.

Sliding her hands over his shoulders, the combination of his skin and water running over it was pleasantly odd. His body heat, even warmer than the shower, felt good and solid as he pressed against her, as comforting as it was arousing. She moved her hands lower, running them over his back and around his hips, pushing him back a little to reach between them. Carefully gripping his cock, she stroked him to full hardness.

Bracing himself with his hands against the tiles, he broke the kiss, burying his face into her shoulder with a groan. It was an intoxicating sound, and she wanted to hear more. Still stroking with one hand, she pushed against his hip a little more to give herself space, then lowered herself to her knees.

The scars, like old and healed over burn wounds, made it different, but she found the texture interesting as she licked a broad stripe on the underside of the shaft before wrapping her lips around the head. She looked up at him as she took more of him in, then sliding back; his eyes were wide as if he couldn't believe what she was doing. Pleased with herself, she gave a few shallow sucks, taking a few moments to relax her throat, then took him all the way in.

His limbs nearly gave out on him as he gave a startled shout of "Fuck!", half slumping against the wall with his head pressed against his forearm. Reaching down with his free hand, he gripped a fistful of hair against the nape of her neck and gently pulled her off of him. "D-damn, sweetheart, are you trying to kill me?" he panted.

She couldn't help the smug look on her face at the sight of his chest heaving and the feel of his fingers shaking. "Not yet," she smiled and winked.

He cocked a hairless eyebrow at her in amusement, reaching over to shut off the water before scooping her up bridal style and carried her out into the bedroom. Without even bothering to dry either of them off, he laid her across the bed and began pressing kisses down the length of her body.

"Edward, wait! We'll ruin the blanket!"

"I really don't care," he murmured, running his tongue along a rivulet of water between her breasts. "I want to taste you."

Sliding lower down her body, he stopped to nip teasingly at the join of her hip and thigh, chuckling softly at her little twitches and gasps of anticipation. Smoothing his hands over her sides and down to her pelvis, he brushed his thumbs lightly over her folds before parting them to give her a firm lick. She yelped and nearly jerked off the bed, his arms locked across her thighs the only thing keeping her pinned in place as he devoured her. At first slow, he became more merciless with each whimper she couldn't suppress. Wound up to the breaking point in only a few short minutes, she couldn't stop it. As he pressed two fingers in, going right for the sweet spot, she came with a sharp cry.

Sitting back on his knees and licking her from his ruined lips, he hummed, "Delicious." He slid his hands under her back and pulled her into his lap. She felt too boneless to resist; not that she wanted to. "I want more." He kissed her, letting her taste the tang of herself on his tongue as he caressed hers. Then he lifted her and turned her around, pulling her hips up high and pressing her upper body down onto her elbows on the mattress. It wasn't a position she was used to, but damn if it didn't excite her.

Pressing his fingers into her again, he gently scissored them as he worked them in and out, stretching her. "Edward," she whined through the haze of pleasure, "please, more."

He rubbed a soothing hand over her back. "Just a little more time, sweetheart. I don't want to hurt you." She squirmed, and he gripped her hip, urging her to rock back and forth in time with his hand. "That's it," he said softly, bending to press a kiss into the small of her back. "All the better if you come again." He twisted his fingers around, crooking them over her G-spot, and she did. Hard.

He didn't let her come down. She let out a sigh as he removed his fingers, then gasped as they were almost immediately replaced by the steady push of his cock as he sank into her. Unlike their first time months ago, he was slow and patient, giving her more time to adjust.

Once fully seated, he pulled her back up to a kneeling position straddling his knees, gripping her hips as he rocked up into her with a loud groan. It somehow felt deeper, though the position limited the power of his thrusts, and it felt oh so good. She felt as if she were right _there_ at the peak, but having already come twice so quickly, she was certain she wouldn't be able to again. That was fine. He'd done her right; she would happily do right by him.

His mouth hot against her shoulder, she could tell by his quickening breaths he was close. Bracing her hands on his knees, she took over, rocking harder against him. Hands now free, he stroked them up her sides, one sliding up to cup her breast, the other sliding down over her stomach to her mound.

He slid his fingers down and lightly pinched her clit.

" _Oh fuck!_ " she choked out as an unexpected third orgasm set her nerves on fire. Behind her, Deegan let out a harsh growl as her muscles clamped down around him, forcing him to come as well, filling her with liquid heat.

Panting to the point of almost hyperventilating, she let her head fall back against his shoulder. Just as breathless, he stroked a hand over her stomach while he wrapped the other arm around her, kissing whatever he could reach -- her shoulder, her neck, her temple -- until both their breathing slowed to something akin to normal.

Easing off of him, she looked down at herself with a _tsk_. "The blanket is ruined and I'm going to need another shower," she sighed dramatically.

He gingerly unfolded his legs and sat on the edge of the bed away from the mess. "Sebastian can clean it. He never has enough to keep him occupied anyway."

As if just saying the name invoked his presence, there was a knock on the bedroom door and the Mr. Handy snapped, "Sir, if you are quite finished, I wish to inform you that dinner is served."

"Speak of the devil," Nora laughed, heading for the en-suite again.

~

Dinner turned out to be pan-seared brahmin steaks with a corn-and-tato saute. By pre-war standards, it was simple and plain. To Nora, having suffered well over a year of the worst that the wasteland had to offer when there was anything to be offered, it was the best thing she could ever remember having eaten. She did her best to keep her vocalized appreciation to a minimum, but the not-so-casual glances she received from Deegan throughout the meal caused her to blush more than once.

"I don't think I need to ask if you enjoyed it," he said with a low chuckle, leaning back from his also empty plate.

She ducked her head slightly, smiling. "I can't bring myself to be appalled at the noises I made. It was just that good."

He nodded in agreement. "Probably the only reason why I haven't chucked Sebastian back outside on patrol duty. After Jack and Emogene left the house to me, it became too much work to maintain by myself. So I brought him in, changed his programming parameters, and put him to work as a butler." He glared as, again, the Mr. Handy appeared at his name, and began clearing off the table. "His cooking is worth it, at least."

"I don't let Codsworth cook anymore," she sighed. "Not that he can't. It's just not been priority for me. There's always someone somewhere needing help with something, so I'm on the road more often than not."

"Like you helped me with the repairs?"

She waved a hand at the plate Sebastian removed from in front of her. "Worth it." She picked up the napkin from across her lap (an honest-to-god linen napkin!) and set it on the table, pushing her chair back to stand. "But speaking of roads, I guess I should be getting back on it."

Deegan stood as well, moving around the table to follow her into the lounge where her cleaned and repaired armor sat waiting on the coffee table. "Where are you headed?" he asked, leaning against the pool table, crossing his arms over his chest.

She took a minute to examine her chest piece, marveling at the Mr. Handy's careful work. "Back to the Rexford," she replied offhandedly. "Hopefully I can still get a room and catch a couple hours of sleep."

Suddenly, his hands were on her hips and she was being pulled back against him. "Stay here tonight." He folded his arms around her waist possessively. "There's a perfectly good bed upstairs, minus one blanket, free of charge."

She turned in his hold to look up at him, eyebrow raised but smirking as she dropped the armor piece and slid her hands up to rest on his shoulders. "Minus one blanket, huh? And what if I happen to get cold during the night?"

"Ghouls put out a lot of body heat," he said with a shrug, and bent to kiss her.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading.


End file.
